Hello! My name is Maverick, I am just over 1 year old and I was born with several congenital heart defects. I have DILV, TGA, VSD and had COA. (double inlet left ventricle, Transposition of the great arteries, Ventricular septal defect, and coarctation of the aorta)
My heart is very special and because of that, I needed a couple of surgeries to make sure it was running perfectly for me. My journey started in my Mommy’s belly where a doctor called a cardiologist would study how my heart worked so the surgeon knew what to do and look for when I came out. Because they worked as a team along with other nursey persons and doctors at the heart center, we got me fixed up so I can do normal baby things.
At the time of my first surgery, I was only 1 week old, my heart was strong enough so they didn’t have to as much. They fixed my COA by making the small area bigger and then they put on a PA(pulmonary artery) band to equalize the pressure in my heart a little more. That fix lasted me 4 months, then it was on to surgery number two!
My next surgery was called “The Glenn”, and while they were in there they tighten my Pa band and had to balloon my COA repair area to stretch it out a bit. Sadly after my surgery, though all things heart-wise turned out great, I ended up with Chylothorax. The Chylothorax was draining chyle into my lungs so another surgery called “thoracic duct ligation” was needed. After 74 days in the PICU, I was able to go home! It took a very long time but we made it through it.
It’s been over 6 months since I’ve been home from the hospital, and though I had a few setbacks being in a bed for most of my life, I am catching up and doing great!
Sadly my surgeries won’t end, I will have another one in the next year or two called a “Fontan” and eventually, I will need a heart transplant. But I won’t let CHD keep me down, I will keep overcoming and I am so happy to be here!